Dittus Communications
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This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation. |
Dittus Communications, formerly known as The Dittus Group, is a Washington .D.C.-based public relations company.
In December 2005 the company was taken over by Financial Dynamics. As part of the deal, Dittus Communications will trade under its own name but with the tagline "a Financial Dynamics company." [1]
Contents
History
In mid-1993 Gloria Dittus founded The Dittus Group, which the company website states was to serve clients by "melding her grassroots experience and her years in corporate communications and public relations. She envisioned a communications shop that was different from the rest -one that delivered policy victories as well as market conquests. She began solving corporate challenges by building integrated campaigns using a wide range of marketing communications practices and public affairs programming. Her first three clients, Alabama Power, Kraft Foods and the Business Software Alliance, found success through that philosophy, and are still clients today."
Working for big tobacco
In a proposal from The Dittus Group sent to Philip Morris, the company outlined its proposed approach to promoting tobacco industry supported legislation on dealing with youth smoking.
Gloria Dittus and Suzie Brewster explained in the proposal sent to Marc Katz of Philip Morris tobacco company “we have been involved in many controversial campaigns including nuclear waste disposal, food safety and protecting legal immigration”.[2]
Later in its proposals it outlines it credentials for the benefit of PM. “Our principals have played critical roles in campaigns concerning the recent debate on legal immigration, electricity deregulation security over the Internet, telecommunications deregulation, product liability reform, the BTU tax, licensing the Seabrook nuclear power plant, reforming the nation’s agriculture and housing programs, and public policy issues impacting the American software industry”.
“We have a proven, winning track record. In 1996 alone, the TDG team was directly responsible for:
- Achieving reform of outdated dairy pricing. This was the only contentious agricultural commodity to achieve reform during the farm bill debate …
- Successful redefining the issue of legal, employment-based immigration …
- Obtaining legislation to allow the public service commission to consider ‘stranded costs” of electric utilities in Alabama in a deregulated environment. This issue was defined as a measure to protect local residents and small businesses against large corporate interests. A pro-active legislative strategy supported by an aggressive third-party coalition and a successful earned and paid media campaign were key factors in the success.
- Easing export controls on software containing strong encryption features …
(Note: emphasis in original. There is also additional material on each of dot points with …).
In mid-March 2004, Dittus launched an internal group specialising in working with non-profit groups headed up by Debra Cabral. According to Dittus the group “will help not-for-profit organizations enhance their role and influence in the public policy arena through messaging, media outreach, grassroots, Internet and public education and awareness campaigns.” [3]
Personnel
From their website and press releases: [4]
- Gloria Dittus
- Debrah Cabral Executive Vice-President
- Tom Conway Senior Vice-President
- Kevin Walker Senior Vice-Presdient
- Mike Waldron, formerly deputy director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy
- Yier Shi, previously senior advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Clients
Past and current clients include (from their website, accessed March 2004, and press releases): [5]
- 3Com Corporation
- AdvaMed
- Advance America
- Alabama Electric Consumer Alliance
- Alabama Power Company
- Alliance for Digital Progress
- Alliance of American Insurers
- Amerada Hess Corporation
- American Association of Preferred Providers Organizations
- American Business for Legal Immigration
- American Council for Fitness and Nutrition
- American Electronics Association
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- American Sugar Alliance
- American Trucking Associations
- Americans for Computer Privacy
- Andrx Corporation
- Autodesk
- BioVid
- Blue Ridge Networks
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
- Business Roundtable
- Business Software Alliance
- Cable & Wireless
- CapNet
- Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
- Center for Democracy & Technology
- Charter Financial
- Citigroup
- Citizens Against Energy Subsidies
- Citizens Against Government Waste
- Clear Channel Communications
- Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy
- Coalition for Fair and Affordable Lending
- Coalition for Food and Agricultural Resources
- Commission on Child Online Protection
- Council on Labor Law Equality
- Credit Union National Association
- Dell
- deneX
- Digital Focus
- Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
- Dyer Ellis & Joseph
- E-Commerce Forum
- Edison Electric Institute
- Electric Power Supply Association
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Energy in Depth[1]
- Entrust
- Envirocare of Utah
- Exolve
- Fluor Corporation
- FM Watch
- George Washington University
- Global Tech Summit
- Globe Aviation Services
- Grocery Manufacturers of America
- Guardian Technologies
- Home Depot
- Household International
- Health Distribution Management Association
- Independent Petroleum Association of America
- Information Technology Association of America
- Intel Corporation
- International Dairy Foods Association
- International Intellectual Property Alliance
- International Limousine Service
- International Paper
- Internet Access Coalition
- IT Community Foundation
- J. Naylor Cope Company
- JK Moving & Storage
- Kraft Foods
- LaserCard Systems Corporation
- Legend Airlines
- Magazine Publishers of America
- Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association
- Maritime Cabotage Task Force
- Men Against Breast Cancer
- Mercatus Center
- Microsoft Corporation
- National Association Against Blacklisting
- National Association of Convenience Stores
- National Association of Federal Credit Unions
- National Association of Mortgage Brokers
- National Association of Water Companies
- National Cooperative Business Association
- National Emergency Number Association
- National Restaurant Association
- National Safety Council
- National VAX-D Association
- Network Solutions, a VeriSign brand
- Nuclear Energy Institute
- Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms
- Pegasus Communications
- Pernod Ricard USA
- Personal Watercraft Industry Association
- Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
- Pitney Bowes Inc.
- Placido Domingo Opera Foundation
- Playboy Foundation
- Progress and Freedom Foundation
- Promoting Active Competition Everywhere ("PACE") Coalition
- Qwest Communications
- Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
- Rubber Manufacturers Association
- SAP Public Services
- Save the Children
- Shell Exploration and Production
- Southern Company
- Suicide Prevention Action Network
- SurfControl
- Surviving Grace
- Taylor-DeJongh
- TCS America (Tata Consultancy Services)
- Tractebel
- TVA Watch
- U.S. High-Tech Industry Coalition on China
- US Family Health Plan
- VeriSign
- Weyerhaeuser Corporation
- Women in Housing and Finance
Contact information
Dittus Communications
1150 17th Street, NW, Suite 701
Washington, DC 20036
Phone:(202) 775-1401
Fax: (202) 775-1404
Email info AT dittus.com
Web: http://www.dittus.com/flash/index.html
External links
- Gloria Dittus & Suzie Brewster, “Providing local political support for “the Tobacco Use by Minors Deterrence Act of 1997”, February 24, 1997.
- Dittus Communications, “Increasing visibility for a cause expands non-profits: in the news is key to growing membership”, Media Release, March 10, 2004.
- Hamilton Nolan, "ANALYSIS Corporate Case Study: Taser facing uphill battle to safeguard its image", PR Week, May 9 2005. (Sub req'd.)
- Dittus Communications, "Financial Dynamics Acquires Dittus Communications, Expands Global Public Affairs Practice", Media Release, December 5, 2005.
- Julia Hood, "Financial Dynamics acquires Dittus Communications", PR Week, December 5, 2005.
- Dittus press release, "Mike Waldron, Department of Energy, and Yier Shi, Food & Drug Administration, Join Dittus Communications: Client Roster Continues to Expand," March 17, 2006.
